Martin Luther King played a major role in leading the civil rights movement and desegregation. In April 1963, King organized a march in Birmingham, Alabama a city that was still separated by race even though 6 years have passed from the Montgomery decision on desegregation. This march was purposely chosen to be located in Birmingham to catch attention of people all over US on how unfair the innocent blacks were treated. Not surprisingly, Bull Corner- the police chief in Alabama obliged. Over 1000 protesters were arrested by the police and put into jail including Martin Luther King. While he was in jail, he wrote “Letter from Birmingham”, which later became one of the most important documents recorded in the civil right movement period.
On May 1963, President John F. Kennedy persuaded the Governor in Alabama, George Wallace to release all the protesters. Sadly that year on November, President Kennedy was assassinated and Lyndon Johnson was replaced. Lyndon Johnson was the one who signed the civil rights act on July 2 1964. The summer of 1964 was named ‘Freedom Summer’ as the civil rights act claimed it was illegal to segregate, racially discriminate areas such as employment and houses. With the momentum from the Civil Rights Act, Martin Luther King then, encouraged black Americans to register votes. 20 months later, more than 430,000 black Americans registered to vote.
In August 1963, Martin Luther King prepared a march in Washington D.C with over 200,000 blacks and 50,000 whites to pressure President Kennedy to introduce civil rights bill. He then delivered “I have a dream” speech which swiftly, numerously changed the American public opinion on Civil Rights Act.
King then again had arranged another march in early 1965 through Sekma, Albama a town that was known for its extremely racist sheriff, Jim Clark. As the authorities found out about the upcoming march, they immediately banned it. However, 600 people continued with their plan and went ahead without King on March 7 1965. As expected, they were terribly attacked. This day was called the “Bloody Sunday”. Later on, Jim Clark lost his job by an election.
Activists such as Cassius Clay (Who later on changed to Muhammad Ali) and Malcolm Little (Malcolm X), chose a different way of protesting. They disliked Martin Luther King’s non-violent methods and believed that force was needed to gain equality for black Americans. They even hoped to create their own separate state in America even by force.
In 1966, SNCC elected a black student, Stokely Carmichael as their chairman. SNCC became different ever since then. Carmichael also disapproved Martin Luther King’s way of protesting. ‘This nation is racist from top to bottom, and does not function by morality, love and non-violence but by power’
Black panthers were even more violent than Carmichael. This group created by 2000 members, were political party as well as a small private army. So violent, they didn’t hesitate to kill 9 police officers during 1967 to 196.
So as result, you can say that after 1961, Civil Rights Movement developed in a good way and in the bad way. People all over America are protesting in their own way to gain their equality even after the disastrous events occurred before 1961.
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